Glass cutter

ABSTRACT

A glass cutter, for use in a machine of the type having a head adapted to traverse a glass sheet to be cut, includes a bifurcated holder in which a U-shaped clip is inserted. The legs of the clip project forwardly and the outer ends thereof can be conveniently squeezed for ready removal of the clip. A glass cutting wheel is rotatably mounted between the inner leg ends of the clip, and the legs of the clip are held between the holder&#39;&#39;s furcations by means of a pin and horizontally oriented slot configuration defined in part by the holder and in part by the clip. This construction permits the clip to be removed in a forward horizontal movement when the projecting ends of the clip are so squeezed.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,850,062 Insolio Nov. 26, 1974 GLASS CUTTER Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost [75] Inventor: Thomas A. Insolio, Bristol, Conn. g g Agent Firm Mccormlck Paulding u er [73] Assignee: The Fletcher-Terry Company,

Farmington, Conn. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed; Oct. 12, 1973 A glass cutter, for use in a machine of the type having Appl. No.: 405,822

US. Cl 83/12, 30/l64.95, 83/481,

a head adapted to traverse a glass sheet to be cut, includes a bifurcated holder in which a U-shaped clip is insertedi The legs of the clip project forwardly and the outer ends thereof can be conveniently squeezed for ready removal of the clip. A glass cutting wheel is rotatably mounted between the inner leg ends of the clip, and the legs of the clip are held between the holders furcations by means of a pin and horizontally 'oriented slot configuration defined in part by the holderand in part by the clip. This construction permits the clip to be removed in a forward horizontal movement when the projecting ends of the clip are so squeezed.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GLASS CUTTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior art glass cutter inserts have generally been constructed with a bayonet type construction for removably mounting the insert or clip in a holder, the holder being provided in a glass cutting head which is adapted to traverse a glass sheet to be cut or scored. Most prior art designs call for removing the insert by moving it downwardly from its associated opening in the holder. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,284 issued to Lee there is disclosed a glass cutter comprising a cutting wheel on an axle, a post having a slot in which part of the wheel is arranged, and a removable retainer having an axle holding part and a part seatable in a socket in the post. The retainer comprises a Y-shaped spring the stem or trunk of which ispositioned in the socket of the post and the arms of which are slotted for receiving the axle. The stem is received in a slot in the post and bears against the sides of the slot to frictionally hold the retainer, and thereby hold the axle with the glass cutter wheel in position in the post slot. The retainer or insert must be downwardly removed from its associated slot in this construction.

A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,027 issued to Insolio et al Aug. 8, 1972 and assigned to the assignee herein features the use of a horizontally removable insert, which insert is held in position in the holder by a pin and slot configuration. However, the insert and holder must be machined quite precisely in order to allow for the forward removal of the insert from its associated holder. This machining leads to increased cost as a result of adopting this particular construction.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,488 issued to Fletcher Mar. 19, 1968 shows a glass cutter wherein a spring clip is adapted to be downwardly removed from its associated holder or pillar post, and this arrangement has all of the disadvantages mentioned previously with respect to the Lee U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,284.

The general aim ofthe present invention is to provide a spring clip type or retainer for use with a bifurcated holder to permit the lateral or forward removal of the retainer and its associated cutting wheel from the holder so as not to require vertically upward movement of the cutting head and holder prior to removal, for replacement or repair, of the cutting wheel and its associated retainer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to glass cutters, and deals more particularly with a holder and associated retainer for use in a glass cutting head which components are so designed that the retainer can be removed horizontally, or laterally without raising the head more than a very slight distance above the surface of the glass. More specifically, the cutting head and holder need not be raised a distance corresponding to the vertical height of the insert or retainer as in prior art devices.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a glass cutter head having a readily removable, and inexpensively fabricated, retainer which can be conveniently removed for replacement or repair of the cutting wheel carried by said retainer without the necessity for elevating the cutting head and associated holder any more than a very slight distance from the surface of the glass to be scored. 3

In the preferred embodiment to be described a bifurcated holder is shown with a downwardly and forwardly open'slot for receiving a generally U-shaped retaining clip, which clip is formed from a resilient material and outer end portions of the legs of the clip projecting forwardly from the holder so as to be conveniently squeezed for removal from the holder. The cutting wheel is supported on an axle adjacent the base of the U-shaped clip, and the base portion of the clip also defines a slot which is received in a pin extending laterally between the furcations of the holder so as to restrain the retainer in the holder against vertical movement once it has been inserted laterally or horizontally. A second pin is preferably provided in the retaining clip extending across and between the legs thereof generally intermediate the projecting end portions and the base of the clip. This latter pin is adapted to be received in a forwardly open slot provided for this purpose in the furcations of the holder. As so constructed and arranged the retainer can be conveniently removed from the holder by squeezing the projecting end portions of the U-shaped clip and withdrawing the retainer clip in a forward horizontal direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of a preferred form of the present invention together with a portion of the cutting head, or post structure, which head is adapted to be moved horizontally with respect to a sheet of glass to be scored.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the retaining clip in which the cutter wheel is rotatably mounted.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bifurcated holder which is adapted to receive the retainer shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the retainer shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the holder shown in FIG. 3, the post structure being shown in phanthom lines.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the assembled holder and retainer as shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a conventional pillar post or glass cutting head of the type adapted to traverse a glass sheet G to be scored. It will be apparent that the glass cutting head might be held stationary and the sheet of glass G moved with respect to the head in which case the glass would be moved in a direction opposite that indicated.

In FIG. 1, the glass cutting head 10 traverses the glass sheet in the direction indicated by the arrow 12 and so that the vertical axis 14 of the pillar post will permit the cutting wheel 16 to caster, or swivel as it traverses the sheet in a manner well known in the art. The pillar post 10 is of conventional construction and may include an internal passageway (not shown) which communicates with a downwardly and forwardly open slot in the bifurcated holder member 16 in order to permit the distribution of oil or other lubricatant to the cutting wheel and to the glass surface to be scored in a manner well known in the art.

Considering the bifurcated holder 16 in greater detail, FIGS. 3 and 5 show the holder as comprising a bifurcated member with a side-by-side depending furcations 16a, 16b which furcations define a downwardly open slot therebetween. This slot in the holder member 16 is open in the forward direction, that is in the direction of the arrow 12 in FIG. 1, to receive a generally U- shaped retainer 18, best shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. Still with reference to the holder 16, the elevational view of FIG. 3 shows a forwardly open slot 22 defined in part in each furcation, 16a and 16b, which slot is adapted to receive a cross pin 24 mounted for this purpose in the retainer 18. Finally, and still with reference to the bifurcated holder 16, a pin extends across the furcations, as best shown in FIG. 5, for restricting the retainer 18 to horizontal or lateral movement between these furcations 16a and 16b. The said pin 20 is adapted to be received in a complementary slot defined for the purpose in the retainer 18 to be described.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 4 in greater detail, the retainer 18 is there shown in plan view and in elevation, respectively, as comprising a generally U-shaped spring clip formed from a resilient material and having legs 18a and 18b projecting forwardly from the holderat least in the assembled position best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. These legs project forwardly beyond the holder member to permit manual squeezing of these legs for ready removal of the retainer clip 18 from the holder in a horizontal or lateral direction. Still with reference to the U-shaped retainer or clip 18, depending flanges 18c, 180 are provided on the inner ends of each of the legs 18a and 18b, that is adjacent the base 18 d or nose portion of the U-shaped clip, and these flanges 18c, 18c

define aligned openings for receiving an axle 30, which axle comprises a part of the cutting wheel 16. As shown, the cutting wheel 16 has the axle fixedly mounted in the wheel. and the axle is rotatably received in these aligned openings.

Considering next the means for restricting the U- shaped retainer to horizontal movement forwardly and rearwardly in the holder 16, said means includes the cross pin 20 referred to previously with reference to said holder 16, which pin 20 is adapted to be: received in a rearwardly open slot 18c defined for this purpose in the nose portion 18d of the retainer 18. As mentioned above said means further includes a forwardly open slot 22 defined in the furcations 16a and 16b of the holder member 16 which slot 22 is adapted to receive a cross pin 24 provided for this purpose in the U- shaped retainer clip 18. More particularly this pin 24 has projecting end portions which extend outwardly beyond the legs 18a and 18b of the retaining clip 18, which extensions are adapted to be received in the aligned slots 22, 22 mentioned previously. The cross pin 24 is preferably fixed in one of the legs, as shown in the leg 180, with the opposite leg 18b having an enlarged opening 18f for slidably receiving the opposite end of the cross pin 24. This construction permits the clip 18 and more particularly its leg portions 18a and 18b to be squeezed toward one another for insertion of the retainer 18 between the furcations of the holder member 16. So too, the axle 30 associated with the cutter wheel 16 is slidably received in aligned openings which define the bearing surface for the axle of the cutter 16. This construction also permits squeezing of the projecting leg portions 18a and 18b in order to permit ready removal and replacement for repair of the retainer and its associated cutter.

I claim: I r

1. A glass cutter for use in a glass cutting machine having a head adapted to horizontally traverse a sheet in a forward direction, and comprising a bifurcated holdermember fixed in the head, said holder member furcations defining a downwardly and forwardly open slot therebetween, a generally U-shaped retainer formed from a resilient material and having the legs of the U projecting forwardly when inserted in said holder member slot, said legs projecting forwardly beyond said holder member to permit manual squeezing of said legs and the forward removal of said retainer from said holder slot, said retainer having an axle spanning the legs of the U for rotatably supporting a glass cutting wheel in the space between thelegs of the U-shaped retainer, and means for restraining said retainer in said holder member whereby said retainer is restricted to forward and rearward movement in said holder when the legs of the U-shaped retainer are so squeezed.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for restricting said retainer movement as aforesaid comprise at least one pin extending across the slot defined in said holder member, and a rearwardly open slot in said retainer to receive said pin when inserting said retainer in said holder member.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for restricting said retainer movement as aforesaid comprises at least one pin carried by said retainer extending across and between the legs thereof and having projecting portions adapted to be received in aligned forwardly open slots in the furcations of said holder member.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means for restricting said retainer movement further comprises at least one pin extending across the slot defined in said holder member, and a rearwardly open slot in said retainer to receive said pin when inserting said retainer in said holder member. 

1. A glass cutter for use in a glass cutting machine having a head adapted to horizontally traverse a sheet in a forward direction, and comprising a bifurcated holder member fixed in the head, said holder member furcations defining a downwardly and forwardly open slot therebetween, a generally U-shaped retainer formed from a resilient material and having the legs of the U projecting forwardly when inserted in said holder member slot, said legs projecting forwardly beyond said holder member to permit manual squeezing of said legs and the forward removal of said retainer from said holder slot, said retainer hAving an axle spanning the legs of the U for rotatably supporting a glass cutting wheel in the space between the legs of the U-shaped retainer, and means for restraining said retainer in said holder member whereby said retainer is restricted to forward and rearward movement in said holder when the legs of the U-shaped retainer are so squeezed.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for restricting said retainer movement as aforesaid comprise at least one pin extending across the slot defined in said holder member, and a rearwardly open slot in said retainer to receive said pin when inserting said retainer in said holder member.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for restricting said retainer movement as aforesaid comprises at least one pin carried by said retainer extending across and between the legs thereof and having projecting portions adapted to be received in aligned forwardly open slots in the furcations of said holder member.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means for restricting said retainer movement further comprises at least one pin extending across the slot defined in said holder member, and a rearwardly open slot in said retainer to receive said pin when inserting said retainer in said holder member. 